Why, then, was the law given at all? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was given through angels and entrusted to a mediator. A mediator, however, implies more than one party; but God is one.

There are many movies to watch and sad stories in families to be told about addicts. I have been around what the world calls alcoholics, drug addicts, sex addicts, food addicts, gossip addicts, you name it, in my life. At times, I might have fit into one of these categories. The pain and collateral damage can be immense on the people around those who wrestle here.

People that wrestle in these areas typically have identity problems and fear issues. I do, in a life without Jesus Christ. The problem with the world’s thinking is that it tries to name and treat the symptoms as only medical and behavioral conditions, without going after the root issue. They do have medical and behavioral components, but these are not the root cause. And without treating the root issue, problems resurface like weeds.

What Paul is discussing here is the root of all of our problems — the Bible calls this sin. Since the fall of Adam, we were born into sin and our sin nature pursues it. The law was there to point out the outward manifestations of our sin, so that we would know we needed divine help in our hearts. We would understand the need for a Savior.

The Law is righteous in and of itself, and the pursuit of the law, with the right motives, is the right pursuit. The Jews and other nations have set up their laws based on these God-given rules for life, and they have succeeded. Turning from these laws leads to chaos.

However, they did not go deep enough. Just keeping laws does not really deal with all of the heart issues. We need a Savior in Jesus that allows us to be forgiven once and for all for sin and enter into right relationship with God — a personal relationship!

And so the law was a placeholder to keep God’s people closer to his heart, until the Savior came that could place the heart of God into our hearts in the form of his Holy Spirit. What a plan, what a story!

Thank you, Lord, for loving me so much to make a way for redemption through Jesus Christ and a vibrant life with you both now and forevermore!